All Over the Map

The celebrated radical architect returns with an anthology on the politics and culture of architecture

Robert Hughes once described Michael Sorkin as "unique in America - - brave, principled, highly informed and fiercely funny." All Over the Map confirms all of these superlatives as Sorkin assaults "the national security city, with its architecture of manufactured fear."All Over the Map is an urgent response to the radical changes in contemporary architecture and the built environment witnessed in the twenty-first century. Characteristically polemic, incisive and energetic, these essays explore pressing questions of architectural and urban design, and critical issues of public space and participation. From New York to New Orleans, the Amazon to Jerusalem, Sorkin brings a critical eye to bear on a sweeping range of subjects.

Whether castigating the sorry performance of the architectural avant-garde, considering the nature of place in globalized culture, or providing mock instructions for entering a high-security environment, these writings make a powerful and provocative case for architecture and urban design to re-engage with the lives and societies from which they have become increasingly detached.